"They quickly fast-tracked legislation to allow the casinos to be rebuilt on land so that the casino companies and operators wouldn't abandon the Gulf Coast. An opportunity was missed to also require those folks, when they rebuild, to pay into an affordable housing trust fund, like the hotels do in Boston."
---Derek Evans, Executive Director, Turkey Creek Community Initiatives, January 2006
"The big push is to get over 3 billion (in 2007)," said Larry Gregory, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission.
In 2004, gaming revenue peaked at $2.8 billion. Gregory said he expects Mississippi gaming revenue to hit $3.2 billion by the end of the year, which has eight months left and additional casinos scheduled to open in the coming months.
---"Casinos head for record year," Clarion Ledger, May 2007
"We now have 80 contiguous acres on the water . . . You look out over the beach and there's a tremendous footprint that's completely clear that you can put stuff on. That could include more hotels, a condo development, further retail or a theater."
---Gary Loveman, Chairman, President & CEO, Harrah's Entertainment Inc., May 2007
But what about other development?
Local governments say they are struggling to support infrastructure without more help.
The issue holding the Coast back is housing. Mississippi had 220,384 houses damaged by Katrina, 65,000 of them flattened.
Here, after nearly two years, some 80,000 people are still living in about 23,000 FEMA trailers.
---"Coast: Casinos OK, but what else?" Clarion Ledger, May 2007
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